When Two Stars Collide
by ScotianScribbler
Summary: Nina Williams awaits Kazuya Mishima deep within the Mishima Zaibatsu with a trap to ensure the father does not interfere with the son's rule. However, a mysterious woman enters Nina's trap instead and the unexpected occurs. Results in an AU of Tekken 6.
1. My Own Prison

**Disclaimer: This story will deal with bits of lesbianism. Nothing really hardcore or offensive, since I'm not the kind of person who writes "those" stories (you know the kind I mean), so my aim isn't to be tasteless or anything of the sort. This is, first and foremost, a Tekken story. Still, if homosexuality between two female characters is not something you'd like to read about, your best bet is to click back right now and find another story to read. There will not be any detailed love making scenes, but they will be alluded to. Just a heads up. Thanks.**

**I will also mention that the story description and genre classification might turn off certain people. As I said, my main goal is to deliver a Tekken story, not a tale of romance. An overall theme is an awkard romantic relationship that develops, but the story itself will deal with the events of Tekken 6 - hence the title, "When Two Stars Collide" which in the game signified Jin and Kazuya. That still applies to this story, but the context of "two stars" is entirely different in the title and deals with the primary characters of this story (who are not Jin and Kazuya).**

**Anyway, happy reading (or so I hope). Please write a review if you like the story.**

****_~:~_****

The trap was set. Nina Williams stood with remote detonator in hand, waiting for Kazuya Mishima.

The senior Mishima had broken into the Mishima Zaibatsu in attempt to claim what he felt was his. Jin Kazama, the current head of the Zaibatsu, had instructed his seconday bodyguard and employee Nina Williams to set a trap for his father Kazuya. Here stood Nina in the corner of a somewhat sterile room that was devoid of life. It was truly empty and currently served as nothing but a shortcut through the Zaibatsu headquarters. By entering through the east end of the room and exiting through the west door, one could bypass several hallways and save several minutes. Jin deployed Nina to set a trap in the room, believing that Kazuya would be aware of the "shortcut room" and attempt to take it. Little did Kazuya know that the west door was locked and heavily reinforced. On the inside of the door was a cluster of highly destructive explosives. The plan was for Kazuya to charge into the room and attempt to open the west door. Nina would slip out of the room, lock the door, and press the button on her remote detonator to kill Kazuya Mishima.

Nina had been waiting for quite some time now, and it was beginning to look as if perhaps Kazuya was not coming, or at least not through the room she had set a trap in. Jin anticipated this as well, and had his best people and soldiers deployed all throughout the building. Whatever route Kazuya took, he would be met with some form of obstacle.

Suddenly, the east door's handle jiggled. Nina's eyes darted to the door as she shifted into the shadows in the corner. Kazuya had decided to use the shortcut room after all! The door slowly opened, a hand guiding the door ajar... But the hand clearly did not belong to a man. It was slender, small. A woman's hand. Nina's eyes narrowed as a foreign woman stepped into the room whom she had never seen before. Jet black hair pinned up against the back side of her head and dressed in very extravagant looking Arabian clothes. Nina noted that the woman had a strong presence and seemed to carry herself confidently. This did not matter, though. She was not Kazuya Mishima and was not the target. Nina knew what she had to do. She took a few steps forward out of the shadows and eyed the woman. "Who are you? You're not supposed to be here."

The apparent Arabian woman casually turned her head to look at Nina, a very subtle smile creeping on her face. She was a pretty woman, though her beauty was both haunting and intimidating. "Oh, but I am."

Nina narrowed her eyes slightly, taking a step forward and resting her hand on a sheathed knife on her thigh. "You're not of the Zaibatsu. I am going to have to remove you."

As Nina approached the woman, she couldn't help but wonder what kept her firmly planted where she was, staring directly into Nina's eyes with a look that practically pierced her soul. The steady glare was unnerving, though being a cold assassin, Nina was able to put this past her as she quickened her pace. She drew her knife with a swift twist of her hand and, as she got within range of the woman, lifted her hand to attack. As soon as she did this, the woman moved. Her movements and her speed were unpredictable and Nina was completely caught off guard as both of her arms were quickly grabbed at the wrists. She scowled at the woman who simply smirked in return, taking a few small steps forward. Though Nina's arms were restrained, she still had full control over her legs and she intended on using them. Just as she registered the idea of delivering a blow to the woman's chest, the unexpected happened and all thoughts in her head were jumbled as the woman leaned in rather quickly and planted her lips on Nina's.

Nina went stiff with surprise as the woman simply held the embrace for a moment, apparently making the most of it, before pulling her face away and smiling at Nina almost deviously. "I'm not going anywhere. The two stars must be stopped."

The two simply stared at each other for a moment, Nina with a look of embarrassed anger and the woman with an amused smirk plastered on her face. Suddenly, a huge blast was heard by both women and the entire room shook violently, power flickering off and on rapidly as both women tumbled to the floor. Dust and small bits of debris fell from the ceiling as Nina climbed to her feet and steadied herself. Immediately upon doing so, an even larger blast shook the room. The entire room caved in around both women.

It appeared that Kazuya Mishima opted not to use the shortcut room after all.

**_~:~_**

When Nina opened her eyes, the room was in pitch blackness aside from a small portable flashlight resting nearby on the ground which Nina identified as her own and had been carrying it in her pocket beforehand. She immediately felt a sharp pain in her left shin. As she raised her her head and looked towards her leg, she immediately noticed the other woman hovering over her aching shin, her hands resting on it. Nina growled and quickly pulled her injured leg away. "What did you do to my leg!"

The woman did not appear surprised by the harsh reaction. Her head turned, her eyes meeting Nina's face. She still had that obnoxious grin on her face and it was beginning to annoy Nina greatly. "You should be asking the fallen blocks of cement what they did to your leg, not I. I've cleaned the blood off of your leg and bandaged it. You are welcome."

Nina simply glared at her in response. "Tell me who you are. Now."

Reaching down by her side, the woman lifted what appeared to be an ID card that Nina had been carrying previously. She scanned it over and let out a subtle laugh before peering back at Nina. "You do not know me, but I know you.. Does this make you uncomfortable, Nina Williams?"

No response. The woman continued. "You may call me Zafina. Answer me, Nina Williams, would you like to know why I am here?" After a simple nod from Nina, Zafina continued once more. "My people have a prophecy... It says that there will be two evil stars and, upon meeting, they will jeopardize all human life. The clashing of the two stars will unleash an ancient and terrible evil that my people sealed away long ago. This evil will destroy the world."

Zafina stopped and simply stared at the injured Nina for a moment who looked back with a curious though hesitant expression on her face as she listened. "You will not find any stars here, Zafina. This is the Mishima Zaibatsu."

With a nod, Zafina quickly responded. "And the Mishima Zaibatsu is headed by a young man named Jin Kazama, who I have concluded is one of the two stars. The other..." Zafina looked around the caved in room and motioned around with one hand. "The other is responsible for this destruction."

Nina raised an eyebrow at this peculiar revelation. "Kazuya Mishima... Then you wish to stop him? Perhaps you are not an enemy afte-" Nina was cut off quickly. "I am neither ally nor enemy. Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima are the evil stars and both must be stopped. If their conflict continues down this cataclysmic path, they will surely awaken the ancient evil. I have been tasked with preventing that from happening and I intend on succeeding. I understand that you are the protector of Jin Kazama and, despite my intention of ending his life, you are not my enemy."

Zafina's words both angered and confused Nina. The statement that she wished to end the life of the man she was hired to keep alive struck a nerve, but Zafina's admittance that the two women were not enemies made her intentions unclear. As Nina was mulling the words over, she neglected to notice Zafina drawing close to her face. Nina immediately raised her guard as she attempted to sit up and force some distance between the two. However, as she tried to do this, she felt intense pains all throughout her body and she was forced back on the floor with a cry. Zafina quickly put her hands on Nina's chest to keep her down, looking down on her with concerned eyes. "Do not move, you are severely injured. I do not want to see you hurt yourself."

Nina could hardly hear Zafina's words as the pain drowned out the world around her. She tried once more to raise herself while simultaneously attempting to push Zafina's hands away. The weakened woman never stood a chance as Zafina quickly pressed Nina back to the floor, bringing herself to kneel over her and peer directly down at her face. "I told you not to move. You will only worsen your injuries."

As she shifted a little in a feeble attempt to get away, Nina spoke quickly and harshly. "Why should I listen to you, let alone trust you?"

She was silenced from saying anything further when Zafina's face lowered itself, pressing lips against lips and forming another embrace. As this occurred, Nina felt Zafina's hands rest themselves on her shoulders as if to restrain her from trying to get away, though the grip on her was surprisingly gentle. After several long seconds which felt like an eternity to Nina, Zafina lifted her face and made direct eye contact. Her eyes were soft and sympathetic looking. "You should listen to and trust me because I do not want to see you in pain."

Zafina repositioned herself in a sitting positon beside Nina's head, moving one hand to Nina's hair and running her fingers through in a reassuring manner. Nina laid completely still, staring up towards the ceiling in silence for several seconds as Zafina's fingers continued to stroke her hair. Finally, Nina spoke up, her voice sounding weaker and more vulnerable than even she expected. "If you kiss me one more time, I'll make you pay with your li-"

Nina seemed to lose her words as Zafina kneeled down and gave Nina a quick peck on the lips. "You will make me pay with... I am sorry, I did not catch what you had tried to say?" All Nina could do in response was glare at Zafina. Though both her body and voice were weak, her eyes were their usual cold selves. Zafina smiled a little, even though she practically felt the icy daggers shooting at her from Nina's eyes.

"Your story is a sad one, isn't it? When I concluded that Jin Kazama was one of the two stars, I researched his current activities. I read about the Mishima Zaibatsu, and I read about those he employed... Such as yourself." She looked Nina over for a moment, their eyes meeting for a flash before Zafina spoke once again. "I was interested in what I had originally found about you, but it was not much to go by, so I searched deeper and deeper."

"What did you find?" Nina asked quietly, but in a cold and uncaring voice.

"I found that you are a very pitiful person, and I have deep sympathies for you. The loss of your father... Losing fifteen years to cryogenic sleep... Being forced into becoming the cold assassin that you've become... You've never enjoyed the little things of life, never stopped to smell the roses. You haven't even felt the touch of a lov-"

"Stop." Nina found it in herself to speak in a stern and strong manner. "Do not tell me what my life is and is not. It is not any of your business or concern."

Zafina leaned back in, bringing her cheek against Nina's and speaking quietly into her ear. "But I want it to be. I must deal with the two stars, but afterwards... I want to be around you. And with you."

Nina felt herself tremble as she brushed Zafina's face away weakly with her hand despite her arm filling with a nagging pain in the process. She rolled over to face away from Zafina, curling up into the best fetal posiiton that she could currently muster. "Do not talk to me. Do not even touch me. Just leave me alone."

With a heavy sigh, Zafina lifted herself to her feet and moved to the opposite end of the ruined room without glancing at Nina in the process. Upon reaching the far wall, she rested her back against it and let herself slide to the ground slowly, her eyes slowly peering in the direction of Nina, her back to Zafina and covered in darkness.


	2. Take Me Out

"Here! This is the room!"

Nina was stirred from an unplanned sleep when she heard the voices of what sounded like the Tekken Force. She struggled to raise herself into a sitting position, glancing around the room. Zafina remained across the room where she had been before Nina dozed off. She was sitting on the floor, her legs pulled up with her arms wrapped around them and her chin resting upon her knees. Zafina appeared wide awake and her eyes moved back and forth between Nina and where the voices seemed to be coming from outside of the room. The two made eye contact for a moment but did not speak.

Just then, bits of the wall began to break apart as the fists of a Jack burst through. After a few more powerful swings of the robotic arm, a significantly large hole had formed. Three Tekken Force soldiers stepped in, the Jack unit stationed outside in the hall. One soldier quickly spotted Nina. "Nina Williams! It is a relief to us that you are alive! Kazuya has taken the Zaibatsu and Jin has fled. Please hurry, we must escape so that we can rendezvous with him!"

Nina struggled to stand up, but quickly fell down with a cry as sharp pain shot through her entire body. Two of the soldiers quickly ran to her side and assisted her in standing up. As they escorted Nina towards the hole, the third soldier noticed Zafina as she began to stand. He raised his rifle, pointing it directly at her. "Do not move! Stay where you are!" As the two soldiers helped Nina through the hole, the third soldier peered at her, motioning towards Zafina with his rifle in the process. "What should I do with her? She's not of the Zaibatsu!"

Nina weakly waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "Do nothing. She won't cause any further issues."

Zafina watched as Nina was escorted away, the third soldier lingering for a moment with his rifle pointed at her before departing as well.

_**~:~**_

Anna Williams gingerly walked down the crowded city sidewalk, occasionally readjusting her jet black sunglasses shielding her eyes from the sun. Every now and then, a passing pedestrian would glance at her leopard print coat and then look at her disapprovingly. Anna, in response, would simply sneer at them and continue walking. As she kept walking, she found herself quietly singing "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand for no particular reason. She giggled to herself and almost felt like dancing, but knew that doing such a thing would be counter productive to her assignment... if it could even be called that.

After Kazuya Mishima successfully seized the Zaibatsu from his son Jin Kazama, Anna remained Kazuya's bodyguard but a bizarre relationship had emerged. There was much groping and sexual intercourse to be had, but Anna knew that Kazuya's heart wasn't in it. He clearly held no feelings for Anna and was only using her to satisfy his primal urges, but Anna found herself to not particularly care. Her boss whom she was sworn to protect was merely sexing her up to attain quick pleasure and to probably relieve some tension. Even though it was meaningless sex that was devoid of emotion to both Anna and Kazuya, it still felt good and she didn't complain about getting it. In fact, she decided that she would attempt to get on Kazuya's good side even more in hope of being bedded by him more often. So here she was looking for an appropriate store to buy food from. As a professional assassin, Anna never really had time to perfect her cooking skills, and it wasn't even her duty at all to prepare food for the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, but she still wanted to feed Kazuya something that would make him appreciate her presence and inspire him to take her to his bed. Therefore she decided that it was best to find food that was already prepared and then take it back to the Zaibatsu and disguise it as her own in the kitchen. She felt that it was a genius plan since Kazuya was a brutish man with a one track mind and was probably not likely to over-analyze the food he's been given by one of his most trusted advisors whom he was also having emotionless sex with.

"I say don't you know! You say you don't go! I say... take me out!" As Anna began to sing slightly louder, she noticed that she was attracting more and more awkward stares from fellow pedestrians. She ignored them and, after a few minutes, found herself calming down a little and resorted to humming the song instead. As she started to walk by a streetside cafe, she wondered if they would have anything edible inside that she could disguise as her own. These thoughts were quickly dashed, and she seized humming completely, when her eyes rested upon someone sitting outside at one of the outdoor tables belonging to the cafe. There, sitting by herself, was Anna's sister Nina. She appeared to be talking quietly on a BlackBerry with one hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other. Anna made a disgusted face at the sight of her sister's phone. "She never did have any sense of style. A BlackBerry? Ew..."

Curiousity compelled Anna to get closer to see if she could overhear what her sister was saying to the person on her phone. She snaked her way through the maze of outdoor tables, sitting several feet behind her sister. A discarded newspaper rested on the table she had chosen to sit at, and Anna quickly snatched it up and held it in front of her face, trying to focus on her sister's voice.

"Yes... Yes, that's right. No, most of the Tekken Force remained at the Zaibatsu with Kazuya. What? No, calm down. Yes, I'm aware of... It's their job. It's their job to pledge allegiance to whomever controls the Zaibatsu. Look, I... What? Yes. Eddy, yes. I'll be at the coordinates soon. Inform Jin. Goodbye."

Anna peered over the top of her newspaper to see Nina lowering her phone from her ear and resting it on the table. With her other hand, she lifted the cup of coffee from the table and took a long sip.

As Nina lowered the cup, which had obscured her vision while taking a drink of the coffee, she was surprised to see someone else sitting across the table from her. Several feet back, Anna was surprised too. Nina leaned forward slightly, staring hard at the person. It was clearly a woman wearing a loose white button-up blouse and black pants. She had tilted her head downward, and a large black brimmed hat that she wore blocked Nina from viewing her face. After a moment of complete silence between the two, Nina finally spoke up. "Why are you sitting at this table?"

The head looked up, and Nina immediately recognized the familiar features of the face. Zafina reached up and removed her hat. Her now unpinned hair dropped to her shoulders and she smirked slyly at Nina. "It is good to see you again. It has been... A week? Have you recovered?"

Nina shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe that Zafina had somehow located her. "What are you doing here? I thought I made my intentions clear. I want nothing to do with you."

Anna kept her paper low enough to watch the two. She felt her eyebrow raising out of curiousity as she watched her sister and the mysterious woman interact with one another. Who was the stranger? Anna had never seen her before and, in her constant struggle to be better than her sister, it bothered her that Nina knew someone who she did not.

"And I thought I made my intentions clear first." Zafina smiled as she leaned forward to get a better look at Nina. "During both embraces, I did not detect or feel any resistance on your part. You have been alone for a very long time... Do you not want to see if the road I wish to lead you down would be pleasant for you?"

Nina sighed in disbelief as she shook her head, looking down at the table and her hands which she had folded tightly together. "You're a very strange woman. I don't know why you are so persistent with me."

Zafina reached out and rested her palm on top of Nina's folded hands. She peered directly into Nina's eyes and her smile faded. "I believe that you deserve to... to live. Your life has been enveloped in darkness for many years. You deserve to have something good. Something..." Zafina's eyes moved from side to side as she seemed to be searching for the appropriate word to use. After a moment, she sighed and moved her other hand forward to hold both of Nina's hands within hers. "At least try this. I'm very interested... You shouldn't deny yourself of something you may yet cherish."

There was silence between the two for another moment. Eventually, Zafina withdrew her hands and reached into her breast pocket. She pulled out a piece of paper and set it down on the table, sliding it across the surface so that it would be visible to Nina. She glanced down at the piece of paper and noticed that it had the address of a hotel and room number. She peered back up at Zafina with a questioning stare.

"Until I can stop my people's prophecy from ever happening, I will be at that location. If your curiousity gets the best of you, I will be there." Zafina smiled slightly before letting her eyes drift away. She slowly stood up, adjusting her hat carefully, though not obstructing view of her face this time. As she turned to leave, she paused and looked back at Nina slightly. "If you do not come, I will understand." Zafina lingered for a few more seconds before she took her leave, quickly slipping away through the maze of outdoor tables.

Several feet back, Anna watched with a flabbergasted expression that was hidden behind her sunglasses and newspaper. She could not believe what she was witnessing, that there was possibly some kind of awkward romantic tension between her sister and another woman. It was a lot for Anna to initially take it, but she found it all to be very interesting. At the very least, she had to admit that the mysterious woman was quite beautiful.

But Anna knew that there was one thing she had to do now. She had to get her hands on that address.


	3. Who'll Stop The Rain?

"Boooo!"

"Faker!"

"Criminoso!"

"Murderer!"

"Assassino!"

Craig Marduk growled as he pushed his way through the angry crowd with King not far behind, yet the jaguar mask wearing wrestler seemed to attract none of the hate that surrounded his friend. King watched his friend and partner Marduk closely to make sure he didn't lose his cool and snap on any hecklers in the crowd.

As they reached the front of the crowd, both fighters looked up at the enormous banner hanging overhead the mighty Mishima owned building before them. Marduk let out a deep chuckle as he motioned to the banner with a nod. The banner read "The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7."

Marduk gave King a friendly jab and motioned him forward to the entrance of the towering building that the banner hung above their heads. "Think either of us have got a shot at beatin' the tar out of a Mishima this year?"

King simply shrugged in response, but then a loud and sarcastic sounding "ha!" forced both of them to turn and look behind themselves to see none other than Paul Phoenix. He looked at both wrestlers with a smug and self confident grin. "You punks won't have a shot at Kazuya until Hell freezes over! No, this tournament is mine, baby!" Paul pointed fiercely to himself with a balled fist. "The strongest man in the world's got a score to settle with that Kazuya clown!"

Marduk rolled his eyes and let out a deep grunt. "Hmph, you still tootin' your own horn? Paul Phoenix, huh? Face it, you're over the hill pops! Might as well call you Paul Parakeet, gramps. You ain't got any better of a shot than we do at winnin' this thing. Ha, your chances are probably worse!"

As a few droplets of rain started to drop down upon the crowded street, Paul and Marduk glared at each other quite angrily. Paul took a few steps forward, practically grinding his teeth the entire time. "You think so, ha? Well come on, big guy! Let me give you a taste of the Phoenix Smasher for free!"

Marduk let out a bellowing loud laugh. "The Phoenix-what-now? You've gotta be kiddin' me! Haha, you're pretty funny pops!"

Paul was practically sizzling with anger as he began to take long and heavy steps towards Marduk, his fists balled and looking for a fight. Marduk stopped laughing and looked at Paul with a dry smirk, beckoning the man forward with one hand. Just before they entered range of one another, an arm shot out to stop Paul in his tracks. Both fighters looked towards the owner of the arm to see Marshall Law. "What do you think you're doing, man? I was going to thrash this guy!" Paul yelled at his friend in a whiny voice.

As the rain intensified, so too did the atmosphere between the four fighters. However, they all stopped dead in their tracks a moment later as Jin Kazama brushed past all of them without a word or even a stare. Following directly behind him were his bodyguards Eddy Gordo and Nina Williams. The four watched the trio walk past and into the building and, after they were out of sight, Marduk turned back to the group and snickered. "Ho boy, you see that Nina Williams? Heh, what I'd give for an hour alone with that!"

Paul stared back at Marduk with the same angry glare as before, but it slowly transformed into an amused grin before he burst into laughter. "Gwahaha, tell me about it! The gal still looks as good as the day I first laid eyes on her!" A few amused growls escaped from King's mask as Law rested his face in his palm and sighed heavily.

The group watched several more fighters walk past and into the building. Yoshimitsu garnered much admiration while Ganryu's weight was made fun of and Wang Jinrei's age was poked at. The group soon witnessed a tall, yet quite obese, blonde haired man walking by. Marduk opened his mouth, presumably to make fun of the man's weight, but was quickly silenced by commanding glares and shaken heads from both Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix. After the large man went past, Marduk shrugged and looked at the two. "What? Don't tell me you didn't see that! He was just asking for it!"

Paul looked past to make sure the man was gone before looking back at Marduk. "His name is Bob. Used to be a scrawny little punk who could scrap real well, but then he disappeared for years... Just showed up again recently. The boy's still got the fighting spirit. Don't pick that fight!"

Marduk grunted in response as she shook his head quickly. "Wha? You want me to be 'fraid of that big bag a'blubber? I could down 'em in an instant!"

"Exactly. Would you want something like that to fall on you?"

Marduk and Paul then began howling with laughter in unison as King and Law looked at each other helplessly. By this time the rain was coming down very heavily and all four men were getting quite wet. Finally, Law piped up. "Alright, maybe we should be getting inside? You two idiots can't fight if you get sick."

This prompted a loud roar from Paul and he raised his arms into the air fiercely. "Nothing can stop the strongest man in the world from fighting! I shit at sniffles!" Marduk began to laugh again at Paul, apparently warming up to the man. His laughter quickly trailed off as he looked past the rest of the group and towards a female competitor stepping through the crowd and towards the Mishima owned building. Paul followed his gaze and caught a glimpse of the woman he was looking at. "Hot damn, that's one Middle Eastern dish I wouldn't mind sampling if you catch my drift!" Marduk, in response, simply grunted in approval.

The group watched the somewhat scantily clad woman walk by. As she went past, Marduk quite blatantly locked his eyes firmly on her rear end and kept them there until she was out of sight. When he turned back to the group, Law nodded to Marduk and spoke in a very stern voice. "You better keep your eyes where they belong, especially with that one. I already looked at the roster for the tournament. Her name is Zafina, a Middle Eastern assassin."

Paul let out an impressed whistle as his hair, heavy with the vast amount of water it had absorbed, began to flop down over his face. "Assassin, huh? Sounds like my kind of darling."

Marduk let out another chuckle as he turned and began to march towards the entrance doorway, motioning for the others to follow. As they all entered the building, the rainstorm intensified. The crowd outside of the building began to dissipate, replaced by the loud rumbling of thunder in the distance.

Just as it seemed that everyone was inside, Anna Williams appeared and marched up the steps and through the entranceway. Her eyes were locked upon one sole person in the distance. Zafina.


	4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby?

The door to the security office swung open as Anna Williams strode in, her heels clicking loudly against the cement floor with each firm step. The security guard situated at the camera monitors noticed her and bowed his head to her. Anna ignored the formality, instead lifting her arm and flicking her wrist at him in a dismissive manner. The guard quickly understood her silent command and slid his chair back from the desk, allowing Anna to step forward and have the reins of the building's entire security system.

With a few flicks of the CCTV system's control stick, Anna was able to point the security cameras anywhere she desired. After a bit of searching with the camera controls, she found what she was looking for. A wide smirk spread across her face as Kazuya Mishima stepped into the office behind the two. Anna did not glance back, as she knew full well who had entered the room since she had been expecting the man. She reached forward with a slender hand and gently tapped a specific camera monitor with her index finger. The camera was steadied on a woman. "There. That's her."

Kazuya stepped beside Anna and examined the person she was pointing at on the screen. A sly grin crept onto his face as he recognized the person as one of the fighters on the roster for the upcoming tournament. "This is the individual who your sister is speaking with?"

Anna jabbed at the digital recording of Zafina with her finger. "And I want her to die!"

A simple snicker was Kazuya's simple response. He turned and began to walk towards the exit, stopping for a moment in the doorway and peering over his shoulder at Anna who looked back at him with an anxious and pleading face. "Then she will. I will give you the tools to exterminate her in your first fight." And with that, Kazuya was gone.

**~:~**

Over forty fighters had gathered for the next King of Iron Fist Tournament. After the opening ceremonies, most of those who had gathered to take part in the tournament had departed for the remainder of the day. The first fights were scheduled to take place the following day, which granted the fighters an opportunity to see who they would be matched against so that they would have time to mentally and physically pepare and strategize for their bouts.

Nina's first match had her placed in a bracket against the experienced taekwondo master Baek Doo San. She expected it to be a very challenging fight, but she also believed that her more youthful age and the vast amount of stamina she possessed would most likely guide her to victory over the Korean warrior. Suddenly, a snarky voice called out to Nina from behind.

"You're gonna choke and lose." Nina recognized the voice immediately, turning to see her sister Anna sneering at her. "Nice to see you're keeping up with the tournaments! Oh, I would so hate to see you get beaten to a pulp dear sister!"

Nina gritted her teeth as she strode quickly towards her sister, grabbing her coat by the collar and bringing their faces close. "The tournament is the last thing on my mind right now, and I would prefer not to put up with your nonsense at the moment you nauseating little tramp!" Nina released her sister with an aggressive shove which almost sent Anna tripping over her heeled shoes and to the floor. "Go back to the street corner where you belong!"

Anna was able to catch herself before falling, steadying herself and simply smiling fiendishly at Nina for a moment before turning and walking away. Nina rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "At least with Anna out of the way for now, things can't get much worse."

As soon as Nina finished saying this to herself, she caught a glimpse of fellow tournament fighter and Hong Kong police detective Lei Wulong across the large registration room. He was peering at her intently. When their eyes met, Lei pointed two fingers at his eyes and then turned his hand to point them at Nina to signify that he was watching her. The last thing Nina needed now was to have a globe trotting alcoholic police officer looking to arrest her. After another glance at the roster sheet and tournament bracket, Nina pulled out her phone. She peered down at it, pressing away at various keys and sliding her finger about on the trackball. When she seemed to be satisfied with what she was looking for on the phone, she slid it into her pocket and departed from the building.

There were still many fighters lingering around outside of the building. She noticed the usual wrestlers King and Marduk standing together, but the sight of the American girl Julia Chang seeking to join their conversation looked very bizarre to Nina. The girl just looked completely out of place with the large men. Another quick look around and Nina caught glimpse of who many were referring to as the "idiot trio" consisting of Marshall Law, Paul Phoenix, and her own son Steve Fox. Nina peered at Steve for a long moment, feeling something deep within her stirring, though she paid little attention to it. Steve's eyes began to drift away from his two friends, and he caught Nina's gaze. Unphased, Nina did not look away. Steve appeared to grow curious by the steady staring and departed from his friends after saying a few inaudible words to them that Nina could not hear. She watched as Steve began walking towards her fairly briskly. She was not sure if she should walk away and pretend not to see him or stay and allow him to confront her.

Steve made up Nina's mind for her as he approached and nodded to her with a smile. "Eh, I remember you. Haven't seen much of ya after I helped ya get away from that bloody Chinese cop a few tournaments ago! How are ya doing, eh?" Nina shook her head slowly, not sure what to say. Steve Fox was almost her age and the man had no idea that she was his biological mother. Even though Nina was not prone to be lost in thought, she was feeling quite unsure of how to handle Steve. "So uh, I saw you lookin' at me, yeah? I was wondering anyway if you'd like to... Eh... Blimey, I dunno. You wanna get something to eat sometime?"

Nina slowly shook her head. "No, I would not." Steve's features dropped as he seemed a little disappointed. Nina decided not to end it at that, sensing that her blunt response could have possibly hurt Steve. She looked him straight in the eyes for a moment and nodded a little before she began walking away. As she began to take her leave, she spoke to him once more. "Go, find Doctor Boskonovitch and speak with him about how you came to be. Ask him about your mother. If he gives you a straight answer, then come to me and we will talk."

Steve watched on in a dumbfounded fashion as Nina departed. He did not know what she was talking about. Confused, he turned and walked back to his friends.

**~:~**

It was evening now and in her room several floors up in a very prestigious hotel was Zafina sitting in a very elegant chair and staring vacantly out of her seventh story window. Earlier in the day and long before the sun had set, she had chosen to vacant the Mishima grounds immediately after the opening ceremony of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, feeling that it was best not to linger. She also decided that it would be best not to approach Nina at the time, as Zafina did not want to seem as if she was desperate for Nina's attention. Zafina sighed quietly as she thought things over. Indeed, she was quite anxious to get to know Nina, but she conceeded that she had to let the Irish assassin come to Zafina on her own time. Zafina had laid the path for Nina, and now she just had to have hope that the woman would follow the path.

After another sigh, this time a little deeper. Zafina approached her bed and laid on it face up. She reached for a paper resting on her adjacent nightstand and held it above her face as she studied it closely. It was none other than a file on Anna Williams. The sister of Nina, the object of her affection, was to be her first opponent. Though she was aware that there was some tension between the sisters, she was not sure of the extent of it and she was feeling slight hesitation at the idea of fighting Anna Williams. If she won, would Nina be angered that her sister had been hurt? Zafina did not know, and she was having difficulties deciding how to handle her upcoming match the next morning.

Zafina's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door to her room. Curious, she slid the sheet of paper underneath the bed and stood up to approach the door. When she had reached it, she peered through the peephole. After a moment, a smile spread across her face and she leaned back, straightening herself before reaching for the handle and giving it a twist. The door opened and in stepped Nina Williams. She looked around cautiously before turning her gaze to Zafina who stepped forward and gently put her arms around Nina's neck, peering into her eyes."I knew that you would come."

Nina's eyes fluttered rapidly as she felt her face reddening. Indeed, this encounter was not forced upon her by Zafina. She had chosen to pay the Middle Eastern assassin on her own. It was making her feel nervous and, for the first time in as long as she could remember, Nina was feeling butterflies in her stomach. These butterflies were quickly put to rest when Zafina's face drew closer and closer to Nina's. Just as their lips touched, Zafina reached outward and pushed the door to her room closed with a gentle push.


	5. Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door

Nina Williams slowly opened her eyes. The blazing sunlight forced her to shut her eyes again for a moment before opening them once more and allowing them to adjust to the morning light... But where was she? Out of the corner of her eyes, nothing looked like her own sleeping quarters. She quickly sat up, the blanket covering her dropping to her waistline. She looked down and noted that she was fully dressed and that the blanket had merely been draped over her.

"Good morning." Nina tensened at the sound of the voice, but relaxed herself when her brain registered that it was the voice of Zafina. Everything then quickly came back to her. Arriving at the hotel, knocking on the door to the room, being greeted and embraced by Zafina, and then what turned out to be hours of talking and getting to know one another followed by a few drinks of chardonnay. Before dozing off, Nina recalled simply laying on the bed with Zafina holding her comfortably in a gentle hug with both arms. With her memories fully in check, Nina turned her gaze to Zafina who was laying beside her on the bed. She was peering up at Nina with a very soft gaze. With a warm smile, she reached up and rubbed Nina's shoulder.

Nina rubbed at her eyes for a moment before letting out a short yawn. She eyed a clock on the wall that did not seem to be operating, as the second hand appeared frozen in place. She turned her gaze back to Zafina. "What time is it?"

Zafina pulled herself into a sitting position, bringing her face to Nina's neck and giving it a soft kiss before resting her head against her shoulder. "It is early yet. The tournament is not due to start for five more hours."

This would place the time at roughly six o'clock in the morning. Nina thought about the upcoming tournament and her first match with Baek Doo San for a brief moment before turning her head slightly to peer down at Zafina who was still pressed against Nina's shoulder and appeared to be more than content with where she was. Zafina smiled at the sight of Nina looking down at her. She lifted herself to sit up beside Nina, looking her in the eyes with an inquisitive expression. "Tell me, have you ever been interested in men?"

Nina blinked a few times at the question before shaking her head quickly. She had not anticipated such a question. "No, never."

"Then women?"

Nina shook her head once more. "No, I've never felt particularly attracted to... Anyone. It just never seemed important, it would have gotten in the way of my work."

"We are different in that regard, then. I too have never been compelled to seek the touch of a man, which my people would surely frown upon if they heard such words escape my lips. I have no desire to be with a man, but you..." Zafina elbowed Nina with a playful smirk. "You are an assassin. Are you afraid to love and kill at the same time?"

"No, nothing like that. Courting, dating, and romancing just never seemed relevant, never felt like something I needed to pursue. I always assumed that such things were just over-glorified forms of communication between two people."

Nina's words prompted Zafina to sit in silence for a moment, her eyes trailing off as she pondered what Nina had said. After the moment passed, she looked back at her. "It is interesting. We are both assassins, but we have very different beliefs and ideals from one another." She put her arms around Nina and gave her a comforting hug. "Mmm but... As they like to say, opposites attract."

There was silence again between the two and, after several long seconds, Zafina's grip loosened slightly as she peered at Nina. "Do you feel an attraction, as I do? You seem to be in another place at the moment."

"No, no... I'm not." Nina shook her head before giving Zafina an awkward but reassuring smile. "I am just new to this kind of scenario. I'm a trained killer who has never done anything of this sort before. I am completely out of my element." Zafina looked on at Nina with an expression that seemed to indicate that this was not enough of an explanation, so Nina continued. "I'm still having trouble understanding what my... Interests are."

Zafina frowned a little as she leaned back, keeping her eyes on Nina. "Do you suspect that you are perhaps... a heterosexual?"

A firm shake of the head was Nina's immediate response. "No. At the very least, I'm appreciating what you are doing for me and..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Zafina. She didn't look terribly assured by what she was hearing. Nina then decided that perhaps it was time for her to take the initiative rather than Zafina. She positioned herself on the bed so that she could face Zafina and then inhaled deeply through her nostrils. For a moment, she simply looked at Zafina, but then she made up her mind. Nina leaned in slowly before pressing her lips against Zafina's. Though she never really had much practice in her life at kissing anyone or anything rather than dolls and teddy bears when she was a young girl, she at least knew that she wasn't "doing it wrong" as she felt Zafina's hands come to rest against her backside before slowly gliding up and down in an affectionate manner. Nina then guided Zafina down against the bed, embracing her deeply for a moment longer before lifting her face and peering down at Zafina with a warm smile, an expression that Nina herself knew was rare for her to wear. "And... I am enjoying it."

Zafina's mouth creeped open slightly as a open-mouthed smile spread across her face. Her sparkling eyes peered up at Nina's as she let out a small giggle. "You've convinced me."

**~:~**

As the two women exited the hotel, Nina busily adjusted her shirt while Zafina checked once more to make sure her gloves were fitting properly and were secured. As they both stepped off of the hotel property and onto the city sidewalk, Zafina peered towards Nina as they walked towards their destination - the tournament. "I want to know something... It has been preying on my mind since last night."

Nina continued walking at the same pace, glancing towards Zafina out of the corner of her vision. "What is it?"

"My first match in the tournament is against your sister Anna. I was worrying that if I win, you might-" Zafina was cut off by Nina who had suddenly began laughing. Zafina looked at her, blinking wildly. "Why are you laughing? I may have to harm your sister!"

Nina was able to stop herself for laughing briefly, composing herself before speaking. "You don't need to worry about hurting her. Truth be told, I would prefer it if you were to hurt her as much as you can. Anna and I have not gotten along for many years now, and we likely never will. She may be my blood relative, but I tend to ignore the connection between us. She is nothing more than a rival who aligns herself with whomever opposes my employers."

Zafina tapped her chin in thought as they walked. "Interesting. Yet here you are, both protecting the two stars. I presume that you would stand in the way of your sister if she were to attack Jin Kazama... But what if I were to do the same, which I do still intend on doing?"

"I would not stop you." Nina's response was quite blunt and the two walked in silence for a moment before Nina followed up with another response to elaborate further. "You have already shown me more of something than Anna has in my entire life."

Zafina raised an eyebrow, her pace slowing slightly. "What is that?"

"Affection."

Zafina felt warm as the word entered her ears. A happy smile spread across her face as she reached for Nina's hand. Together, they continued to walk hand in hand towards their destination, the King of Iron First Tournament.


End file.
